med Captain
Applegarth, looking from the one to the other of us. "You've set my
very brains wool-gathering between you, with your `vessels in distress'
and `ghost-ships'; I'm hanged if I won't go down to the engine-room and
have a little practical common sense knocked into me, as well as see how
they're getting on with the repairs to the machinery!"

So saying, the skipper went below, and, as there was nothing particular
for me to do on deck, I followed his example. Instead of proceeding
down to the engine-room, however, I only went as far as my bunk and
turned in, wondering what the morrow would bring forth. I was haunted,
though, by strange dreams all through the night, continually waking up
and then getting to sleep again in snatches, only to wake up again
immediately after I had dropped off.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

IN THE GULF STREAM.

"It's a dead calm, sir!" I heard Mr Fosset sing out next morning
outside the door of the skipper's state room, which opened out of the
saloon, close to my berth, when he went to call him at four bells, in
obedience to orders given overnight. "The gale has completely blown
itself out, and there's only a little cat's-paw of a breeze from the
south'ard."

"Humph!" yawned the skipper from within. "That's a good job, Fosset. I
think we've had enough wind to last us for a blue moon!"

"So say I, sir," agreed the other with much heartiness. "I wouldn't
like to go through the same experiences again, by Jingo!"

"Nor I," came from the other, evidently about to turn out from his bunk.
"I'll be on deck in five minutes or so, Fosset."

The first mate, however, would not take this for a dismissal, having
apparently further important information to give and which he at once
proceeded to disclose.

"Do you know, sir, I think we're in the Gulf Stream," he said in an
impressive tone. "There's a lot of the weed knocking about round the
ship."

"Gulf-weed?" exclaimed the skipper's voice again from the cabin,
sounding a bit muffled as if he were in the act of pulling his shirt
over his head. "Are you certain?"

"Aye," affirmed the other. "There's not the slightest doubt about it.
It's as plain as a pike staff, sir."

"The deuce it is!" said the skipper in a louder key, showing that my
surmise had been correct as to the progress of his toilet, and that his
head was now unloosed from its bag-like envelope. "By George, I can't
make it out at all!"

"There's no getting over the fa